For Oliver’s Ridge, our first project, we joined forces with Island Heritage Trust to acquire 27.5 acres of land on the Sunset Cross Road. This beautiful site is in a central island location, with almost 2,500 feet of frontage on Oliver’s Pond.

The upland portion of the land (13.4 acres) now has 10 rental apartments for our year-round workforce! And the pond buffer (14.1 acres) is being put into conservation to be enjoyed by the general public.

We are excited to have completed our first project: developing 5 duplex buildings, each containing two 930 square-foot, two-bedroom apartments. These energy efficient buildings will serve as a stepping stone for island workers, providing them with an affordable and steady year-round rental.

We worked with a great team to design the project: architect John Gordon, landscape architect Sam Coplon, hvac systems Ripcord Engineering, site engineer Andrew McCullough, and surveyor Due North.

The site is hidden away from the main road by its winding driveway through spruce forest and ledge outcroppings. We began site clearing in late 2020, and had our first tenants in September 2023. We’re glad to have worked with many local subcontractors, members of our peninsula community.

These buildings were very thoughtfully constructed when it comes to energy efficiency.

The foundations have R20 under slab (5” of EPS), R10 at the slab edges (1.5” of polyiso), and R8 (2" of EPS) on the interior side of the foundation stem walls. 

Beneath the slabs is a 10mil vapor sheet that turns up and is attached to the sheathing to complete the air seal at the base of the exterior walls. 

The walls have R13 continuous insulation (2” of foil faced polyiso) and R23 between studs (3.5” of closed cell spray foam). The roof has R86 cellulose in the flat ceiling (blown in cellulose), and the windows are U.29 Marvin Essential casements, with double pane, argon-filled glass.

The envelope has continuous air sealing details, and each unit has a dedicated ERV for balanced ventilation with heat and moisture recovery. They are heated with a high efficiency Daikin mini split heat pump, and each bedroom has a small baseboard heater for supplemental heat.

These rentals are serving members of our local workforce who are making 60-120% of Hancock County’s Area Median Income (AMI) as defined yearly by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and adjusted by household size.

For instance in 2023: a one-person household earning up to $71,400; a two-person household earning up to $81,600; a three-person household earning up to $91,800; or a four-person household earning up to $102,000.

Rents are income-based, and they are between $700-$1,300 per month, depending on household size and income.

A downloadable fact sheet can be found: here.

Thank you for all of your support!